We're back for Round Two! Last month saw the inaugural edition of What Hi-Fi?'s Now Playing playlist, a regular rundown of the artists and tracks we have been enjoying for our testing and listening pleasure; and now we're ready to do it all over again with a brand new selection of musical treats for you to wrap your ears around.
While last month's edition went big on classic '90s indie anthems, majestic folk newbies and a timely reminder that Macklemore had some incontrovertible bangers in his locker, this time around couldn't be more different. Volume Two includes blissed-out '80s synth sounds, a Radiohead-induced anxiety attack, plus the return of Lady Gaga and a grown man delivering face-melting bass licks while dressed as a fluffy orange cat. Enjoy!
- Listen to our Now Playing playlist on Tidal
Denial Is A River by Doechii
I discovered Doechii through this standout track earlier this year and its playful personality, '90s hip-hop vibes and vivid lyrics immediately hooked themselves into my brain. Denial is a River has been on repeat in my playlist at home and at work, and it’s all thanks to Doechii’s incredibly crystal-clear diction and her honest, quirky yet precise storytelling skills.
Her energy is infectious as she talks through her recent failed relationship, her success – and its darker pitfalls – after being shot into fame, while a propulsive beat underpins her force-of-nature personality. From the way she puts emphasis on specific words to the ‘breathing exercise’ that ends the song, this is an addictive listen that comes to life on a system that can keep up with Doechii’s snappy, characterful rapping.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
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Favourite by Fontaines D.C.
Irish alternative pop rock band Fontaines D.C. are fresh off a Brit Award win, and for good reason; their 2024 album Romance was a triumph and a musical highlight of mine, even if I was late to the party in discovering it. Hits such as Starburster, Romance and Bug are the record's standouts, but it’s outro track Favourite that has become, pun intended, my absolute favourite.
This wistful and melodic track explores the passage of time, giving off a dreamy and upbeat vibe that’s underpinned by an indescribable melancholy; it sets out to invoke nostalgia and it does so perfectly. While I can happily bop along to its catchy repeating guitar riff, paying attention to the lyrics for just a moment is often a detrimental mistake – “cities on return are often strange?” / “every time you blink it, you feel it change” are two especially mortifying lines which should get my point across.
Anyway, enough of my existential crisis, what makes it such a great track for testing audio equipment? Its plucky strings and upbeat tempo are perfect for assessing timing, as any product with a solid rhythmic drive should serve the track well. Further, the acoustic instrumentation requires a rich, warm-sounding pair of headphones or speakers to capture its intent. If your system can deliver both these aspects, expect to be rewarded with this head-bopping, thought-provoking tune.
Words by Lewis Empson
Love is an Ocean by The Midnight
Love is an Ocean is the latest new track from one of the biggest names in synth-wave – a cool category that makes music using retro synths.
If you’re a fan of The Midnight's previous work, or indeed synth-wave in general, it’s an outright delight. Written by band members Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan with contributions from Amanda Warner, Love is an Ocean has everything you might want in a test record.
Wonderfully retro vibes with textured swooning synths and the band’s classic 'too cool for school' vocals? Check. Screeching 80s-style synth saxophone solo reminiscent of THAT Lost Boys scene? Check. Detailed, textured composition that’ll put any hi-fi system through its paces? Check.
It’s just that awesome and one of the tracks I’ve kept coming back to this month. If you haven’t already, I thoroughly recommend giving it a listen as soon as possible.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Abracadabra by Lady Gaga
Like many people on the internet a few weeks ago, my social media feed was filled with Lady Gaga performing jittery choreography surrounded by an entourage of frilled background dancers. This was, of course, the accompanying music video to her latest single release Abracadabra.
The track is an absolute earworm that cannot be satisfied with a single listen, and with it Gaga reminds us what she’s become so well known for. Her ability to create high-energy pop tracks that you just want to keep listening to is admirable, and she also has a brilliant tendency to make nonsense lyrics catchy – the crux of the chorus is: “Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na / Abracadabra, morta-oo-ga-ga / Abracadabra, abra-oo-na-na.” Classic Gaga.
As the track begins, you are immediately hit with a wave of fast-paced beats and bubbling synths that draw you into the song's melodramatic feel, before the chorus kicks all of this into hyperdrive with its toe-tapping energy. Hearing this alongside the music video is an experience of its own, as 40 dancers join Gaga with extravagant costumes and intense, angular dance moves.
The addition of an opera-like bridge brings in an extra level of camp, with Gaga’s voice echoing around your ears like you are inside a tunnel. It may not be the best of her discography, but it’s still a little bit of magic to the ears.
Words by Robyn Quick
Burn the Witch by Radiohead
If Björk was the inevitable candidate for inclusion in our inaugural Now Playing rundown, Radiohead were never going to be far behind when the time came for the sophomore effort. The National Anthem? Pyramid Song? Let Down? Which would we choose first?!
While the temptation to go fully left-field and choose haunting piano-led downer Codex from the near-impenetrable King of Limbs pulled strong, I've been unable to get Burn the Witch out of my head or off my 'Most Played' Tidal playlist. Described as a three-minute anxiety attack, it's a prescient, adrenaline-inducing polemic whose ever-amplifying drama and deft-handed orchestration make for a fine challenge of a speaker's organisational and rhythmic abilities.
The accompanying video above, which essentially blends the cosy stop-motion charms of Trumpton with the eerier occultism of The Wicker Man, is also worth investigating.
Words by Harry McKerrell
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The Orange Cat's Special Time Outdoors by Thundercat
The office is quiet, save for the sound of a few clackering keyboards, the hum of an air conditioner and maybe a little Taylor Swift leaking from some nearby headphones. At his desk, a man who is too old to be familiar with any song aimed at the under-fives begins to sing an innocuous tune: “I am an orange cat / I like to eat / My little tasty treats / Have a nice picnic.” Nearby co-workers shift their chairs further away as they glance at one with bemusement and pity in their eyes.
Thundercat has featured in many a What Hi-Fi? rundown, but I’ve chosen The Orange Cat's Special Time Outdoors – performed on befuddling child brain rotter Yo Gabba Gabba! – for three main reasons. First, it’s a genuine bop with a typically complex, meandering baseline that will challenge even the nimblest system to keep up. Second, the idea that its writer and performer chose to go this hard on a track aimed at small children brings me genuine joy. Third, the image of a fully grown man dressed in an orange cat onesie grooving on his six-string bass while professionally trained actors in oversized character costumes dance disjointedly to his funky tune will never not be funny to me.
“I am an orange cat / I like to roam…”. Those poor kids must have been baffled.
Words by Harry McKerrell
Arrakis by Black Sun Empire
Well this is a change of pace. I first heard this on a random drum and bass compilation in the early noughties, and straight away it jumped out as a cut above your standard wallpaper D&B.
From the creepy intro that’s straight out of a David Lynch film, to the trance-style elements that help the track build just before the two-minute mark, to the frankly monstrous bass that should register on the Richter scale, it’s a true workout for any system, and when the break finally comes, it’s like machine gun fire.
Even if it’s not your cup of tea – and believe me, I can understand why it might not be – you’ve got to admit, this is some pretty stellar production work from the Dutch outfit. Before you give it a blast, you should probably warn the neighbours though...
Words by Joe Svetlik
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Read last month's edition: six songs we've been listening to in the What Hi-Fi? test rooms
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Check out our ultimate test tracks collection
